The Target Shooting Mid Canterbury junior team which finished third in Nelson at the weekend. Photo supplied.Target Shooting Mid Canterbury (TSMC) came home from the Andrews and Faulkner shoot in Nelson at the weekend with plenty of silverware, although the big titles on offer just eluded them.

Members of two clubs, Coronation Target Shooting Club and the Phoenix Target Shooting Club, combined to shoot under the Mid Canterbury banner for the first time at the South Island Target Shooting Association’s annual match, with both an open team and a junior team.

After an exciting first morning of shooting, Mid Canterbury were leading at the halfway mark in both the open and junior teams matches, but after a few points were traded up and down the open team ended up second to Marlborough by three points. Marlborough finished up with 2908.114 to Mid Canterbury’s 2905.127, out of a possible score of 3000.300 to take the Andrews and Faulkner match.

Christchurch finished third.

The Mid Canterbury open team was Steve McArthur (captain), Lanelle McArthur, Shania Harrison-Lee, Nick Stewart, Nina McKenzie, TJ Stewart, Michaela Smith, Emma Smith, Bryan Hunter, Sandy Bennett, Colin Taylor and Keith Bonnington.

In the junior match, the Mid Canterbury team of Lanelle McArthur (captain), Emma Smith, Shania Harrison-Lee, Sam Smith, Charlotte McKenzie and Ben Thomas finished third. Out of a possible 1500.150, Mid Canterbury scored 1426.58 behind Nelson on 1435.53, and Ashley on 1430.42.

But Mid Canterbury did take home some other silverware – a cup donated by R Heaton and R Clark – for taking out the Top Five Winning Team competition, competed for by all 10-person teams naming their top five shooters before the match.

They also won the Lindsay Smith Memorial Trophy for winning division II.

Club captain Nina McKenzie said among those who put in stellar individual performances were Steve McArthur, who won the top shot award for the day (298.17/300.30, which included the only 200/200 shot on the day), and Shania Harrison-Lee who was the top junior (296.20/300.30).

McKenzie said TSMC was immensely proud of all of those who took part.

Six of those who went away at the weekend would head back to Nelson in a couple of weeks for the North versus South match. Lanelle McArthur, Emma Smith, Shania Harrison-Lee, Michaela Smith, Sandy Bennett and Nina McKenzie were all part of the South team, while Bryan Hunter had also been named as the manager for the South Island women’s team for the match.

The Ashburton Target Shooting Association – including shooters from the Mayfield, Mt Somers, Seafield and Ashburton clubs – was also in action over the weekend. Their open team was fourth, while their bottom five won the bottom five trophy, which was a handicapped competition on grade.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 2 August 2018